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In Memoriam By Terry McConnell TONY LANZA
Some men are blessed with multiple talents ... Tony Lanza was one such person. As a result of those talents some achieve a good measure of greatness ... Tony Lanza was such a person. He has become world famous through his photographic skills, colourful personality and superior skills exhibited in everything he did. Having the eye of a master photographer, Tony Lanza, though working with photographic equipment which might have been deemed for amateur level picture takers, created some photographic masterpieces which have lived for more that half a century. These include photos of the great bodybuilders in the early era of skillful body building through a specific exercise guideline as developed by the Weider Brothers Joe and Ben. Great bodybuilders such as Steve Reeves, Clarence Ross, Reg Park and John Grimek as well as many others of international fame who have seen their career blossom as a result of their hard work and the photographic recording of their achievements through the lens of Montreal photographer Tony Lanza. I would be remiss if, among those who have remained physical culture icons of the forties and fifties, such as long time personal friends LEO ROBERT (Mr. Universe), ED THERIAULT (The Little Giant)(Mr. Universe), JOFFRE L’HEUREUX (Mr. Canada 1947), ALLAN PAIVIO ( Mr. Canada 1949) and the many others who have gained immortality through the photographic skills of Tony Lanza, were not mentioned as equally important. It all began as a result of arrangements to purchase a set of weights from the Weider Brothers who had earlier developed a system of weight training that became known as physical culture. The Weider Barbell Company had its humble beginnings in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. This weight training equipment was accompanied by a creative but limited instructional and informational magazine that eventually became known as YOUR PHYSIQUE. Photographs were needed to properly record the growth in the number of practitioners as well as to provide encouragement and incentive to a growing number of young men and women taking interest in this new concept called physical culture. Tony Lanza having formed an early friendship with the Weider Brothers in 1936 was asked by Joe Weider if he would take some pictures of the developing greats of the U.S. and local Montreal bodybuilders. The answer was “YES” and the purchase of a camera in a pawnshop became part of the foundation of the Weider Empire, an empire which flourishes to this day. Tony Lanza was a multi-faceted talent and enjoyed a kaleidoscopic career, in his youth serving aboard an Italian Merchant Ship and later as a Champion Wrestler, retiring at age 52. He was a Military Policeman (MP) in WW2; a major player in developing a security system for Expo 67 and a Master-Sculptor of international reputation. He spent 15 years as a trainer of up-and-coming wrestlers of his day. Years later, his wrestling career came back to haunt him when, as a result of many wrestling accidents, he developed a brain tumor and had to undergo surgery. A successful surgical intervention has allowed him to return to a normal life and to pursue his interests providing historian and fans with a collection of his photos. Tony Lanzas’ wrestling career took many turns and allowed him the opportunity to photograph many of the wrestling greats as well. These include everyone from Lou Thesz to Hulk Hogan. Photos by Tony Lanza have appeared in every professional wrestling magazine of the 50's and 60's. His subjects have included such greats as YVON ROBERT, BILLY (Whipper) WATSON, a close personal friend Mike Mazurski, Larry Moquin, Bobby Managoff and in later years Killer Kowalski, Maurice (Mad Dog) Vachon and many others. Tony Lanza was part of the solid foundation of the WEIDER EMPIRE created by Joe Weider, and Ben Weider who became the global President of the International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB). Tony Lanza’s photographic skills have produced immeasurable evidence through his pictures of the greats of that time, men and women, who graced the pages of YOUR PHYSIQUE. Joe and Ben Weider have become ICONS of bodybuilding development around the world. The symbol of bodybuilding supremacy exemplified in his Sculpture of Joe Weider which has emblazoned every Weider Publication and which is the pride and joy of its creator TONY LANZA. Tony Lanza will forever be remembered by all those who crossed his path. He was a man of positive attitude who helped enrich all those he knew through his warm friendly personality. His favorite expression, in his later years, was “Heaven Can Wait”. Heaven waits no longer. He will be missed.
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